Free Seminars

“The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for.”—Maureen Dowd

When I first started doing the Financial Stress Reduction Workshops, I modeled my business on other seminar leaders and did what they did that seemed to work. Many of them put on free introductory seminars and asked everyone they met to come to them, and this was the first stage of the enrollment process. A percentage of the people at the free seminar would get excited and enroll on the spot for the fee seminar, and that’s when they made money.

I followed this example for about six months. My experience was this:

Lots of people will say “Yes!” to a free seminar. Only about half of them will actually show up. (It’s unfortunate, but many people don’t consider it a commitment unless they’ve paid money for it.)

When you’re listening, you’re selling. When you’re talking, you’re not. And you’re rarely listening at a free seminar because you’re talking. You still have to follow up later.

It takes a lot of time and energy to plan, enroll, and teach a free seminar. It takes no more time and energy to enroll someone for a paid workshop than it does to enroll them for an unpaid one.

After I figured this out, I decided to stop giving free seminars. It was too much work for too little reward. I looked for another way.

And found it: Speak at the monthly meetings of local organizations. There are many of them, from Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs to Women in Management and National Association of Women Business Owners. They do all of the planning, enrolling, organizing, marketing, advertising, selling for you! Plus they give you a free meal. All you have to do is show up.

And “sing for your supper.”

Today’s Affirmation: “I love to speak and sing and people love to hear me!”

Speaking at eWomen Orange County

Big Business or Small? – Excerpt from “Zero to Zillionaire” by Chellie Campbell

Now I’ve been happy as a poker player with pocket aces with my little workshop business, helping people, getting kudos and getting paid. I find people to invite to the workshop by going to networking groups, speaking, internet marketing, and giving free teleclasses (which are like the free seminars I didn’t want to do, but which really work for us coaches in the internet world). Now I teach my 8-week workshops as a teleclass series: 8-10 people call in from all over the world, I teach them, we all hang up. I love my income. I love my overhead. I love my commute. I love my life.

There are other business models for coaches and seminar leaders – some have million-dollar businesses! Here’s a description of one from my book “Zero to Zillionaire”:

T. Harv Eker is the president of Peak Potentials Training. He’s in the workshop business, too. He has a big vision, a big company and he’s making big money. His game plan is masterful—he contacts the presidents of various networking groups and offers free passes to his Millionaire Mind Intensive 3-day seminar for each member of their group. They do all of Harv’s marketing for him by advertising this wonderful free benefit to their membership. It’s a classic win-win-win scenario: Harv wins, the organization wins, and the members win. Brilliant!

So I got my free pass and I went to the seminar. There were some twelve hundred people at the one I attended in Los Angeles in 2004. For three days, Harv gave an informative, fun, involving seminar. “You have a millionaire mind!” everyone high-fived each other on cue. And for three days, from eight o’clock in the morning until ten at night, he sold you—masterfully—the next ten programs that you are going to need if you are really committed to improve your money and your life. The programs come with high price tags—I remember one was $3,995—but then he gives you a big discount because he really cares about you and wants to help. So he slashes the price to $2,995, throws in the $1,000 CD set for free along with it, and then discounts the whole price again. But you have to take advantage of this offer right now, because this course is almost sold out and he only has 50 spaces left…

Need I tell you that hundreds of people jumped up out of their seats and ran to the back of the room to give the waiting employees their credit cards? Because they “have a Millionaire Mind!” And Harv has a Millionaire Bank Account. He told us he makes over a million dollars a weekend. Fabulous. I was watching a master at work. I saw what was possible when your vision was huge.

Do you think I am jealous or sad that my business is so much smaller than his? Well, I admit I wasn’t too fond of him in the beginning when one of my favorite networking groups started touting his financial seminar from the podium every meeting and not mine. He was Oz, the Great and Powerful, and I was Dorothy, the Small and Meek. Was my vision too small, I wondered? Should I be doing what he’s doing? (I hate it when I should on myself.) But I got over it. Some people would rather come to me and sit with 12 people in a living room for 8 weeks than go to a hotel and sit with 1200 people for 3 days. Some will prefer personal attention over mob psychology. I will always find “My People”. Harv will always find his. You will always find yours. There’s no such thing as competition.

Listen, my hat’s off to Harv. He is a master of the big picture seminar business, like Tony Robbins and Werner Erhard before him. Hey, if you want that big picture, go ahead and get it. Have 48 or 4,800 employees. Get 25,000 emails a day. Train thousands of people. If that’s what you want, if that’s what Zillionaire means to you, then go for it! It’s your movie and you can write the script that way if you want.

For me, I’m rather more in alignment with comedian Steven Wright, who said, “Ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be lazy. Hard work pays off in the future, laziness pays off now.” The Big Blockbuster Movie isn’t my movie. I am too aware of the big price one pays for the big picture. T. Harv Eker names it in his book:

“Are you willing to work sixteen hours a day? Rich people are. Are you willing to work seven days a week and give up most of your weekends? Rich people are. Are you willing to sacrifice seeing your family, your friends, and give up your recreations and hobbies? Rich people are.”

No, non, nein, no, no. Nope. Not me. Not willing to pay. If you want the big goal, good for you. Be my guest. Go read one of the big boys’ books. But make sure you take a good squint at the price tag for that life, too. The big vision doesn’t come cheap. Sign me up for the Small Independent Film, the smaller vision, a smaller goal, and a smaller price, thanks. I don’t have ten workshops, I just have one. One workshop that works is all I need. I say what the price is and that’s the price all the time for everybody. I purposefully did not create a business. I created a job for myself.

Every time I examine my business and whether or not to expand, I filter everything through my goal within the goal: I want to be small and happy and rich. I want a life full of fun, hobbies, family and friends every day that I’m alive. I want to have dinner with my buddies. I want to play poker. I want to go to the movies with my 92-year-old daddy while he’s still here with us. I want to help plan the baby shower for my niece. I want to be happy every day. I want a business that I run, not one that runs me. I want work that gets me to a life, not work that is my life.

$200,000-300,000 a year sounds just ducky to me. If that sounds good to you, you’re in luck—I have the program for that.

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Jenee Dana

“I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to create your workshop and share it with us. The training...

2014-10-09T22:28:15+00:00

“I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to create your workshop and share it with us. The training I received in your workshop was incredible and the best thing I could have done as a brand new business owner because I am going to start my business the right way. And thanks for being you, because you give me permission to be me, and I love that.”—Jenee Dana, My Focus Book, LLC, 323-356-0420, ucla.jenee@ymail.com

https://www.chellie.com/testimonials/jenee-dana/

Jennifer Christianson

"I started reading Chellie's book and doing her affirmations about a year before I took her class. Prior to this...

2014-10-10T20:29:11+00:00

"I started reading Chellie's book and doing her affirmations about a year before I took her class. Prior to this I had many customers (30) that bid me out for each and every project (no quality customers). There was too much to manage and no continuity. A year later I had only 5 customers with regular monthly business and am billing more than double what I had in past years. Less stress, more money and a better life! Thank you Chellie for your help! My only mistake was not taking the class sooner!" — Jennifer Christianson, Account Executive, Transcontinental Direct, 310-937-2483

https://www.chellie.com/testimonials/jennifer-christianson/

Jack Molisani

"I took Chellie's Stress Reduction earlier this year and things went great — for awhile. While slogging through a particular...

2014-10-10T20:28:14+00:00

"I took Chellie's Stress Reduction earlier this year and things went great — for awhile. While slogging through a particular "effort-full" month I spotted I had stopped applying some of the principles in the workshop. So I decided right there to sign up for Chellie's follow-on workshop, and immediately made over $45,000 in commissions in the two weeks after I started. Coincidence? I think not!" — Jack Molisani, Lead Recruiter, ProSpring Technical Staffing, 888-378-2333 Ext. 2, www.ProSpring.net

https://www.chellie.com/testimonials/jack-molisani/

P. Hamilton

"Chellie's teachings, affirmations, words, workshop homework and, most importantly, her wisdom and fun-loving spirit helped shift old patterns and belief systems and revolutionize my life — above and beyond the finances.During her workshop, money flowed to me in increasing amounts even though Iwas starting up a new business at the time did not have a product to sell. I followed her homework suggestions and did the daily affirmations and my old programming about money dramatically shifted… money showed up in the form of unearned income: a reduction in my home and office rent, lowered rates through vendors and extra capital from investors--without asking. Even the right materials for my designs showed up in October--after a frustrating and exhaustive 1 1/2 year global search. But the most important shifts came through changes in my belief system which helped me build a solid foundation for my budding business. I am grateful to Chellie, her wit, smile and laughter--her gold shoes and magic wands. My business, my health, my wealth and I thank you! Take Chellie's workshop-- it will change your life! You will never fear your finances again!" — P. Hamilton, P. Hamilton Design

https://www.chellie.com/testimonials/p-hamilton/

Moira Shepard

"I have to tell you this is the most fun workshop/class/seminar I've ever taken — and you know what a...

2014-10-10T20:25:54+00:00

"I have to tell you this is the most fun workshop/class/seminar I've ever taken — and you know what a seminar junkie I am. Besides getting a lot of great information and meeting wonderful people (Dolphins, as Chellie calls us), it's just a kick to spend time with one of the most enlightened and entertaining women I've ever met. One of the results I've gotten from the class: I'm about to pay off $24,000 of my $32,000 credit card debt (mostly from seminars, instructional books and CDs!). Another: I'm inspired to start my own coaching sessions and workshops. In my book, Chellie is a goddess! — Moira Shepard, Radio Host, 310-923-8551, www.TriumphOverTrauma.com